Metro Atlanta grocery clerks battle to rule the checkout line

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – If you’ve ever been annoyed at how slow the line at the grocery store moves, perhaps you’re just in the wrong line.

Case in point: The top 12 baggers from Kroger’s District 3 (metro Atlanta) stores bagged it out Wednesday for the chance to represent the grocery store chain in Orlando later this summer.

“We pull from all 182 stores,” said District 3 manager Richard McLoud. “The best 12.”

The goal was straightforward. Clerks bag a set number of groceries as quickly as possible, one round with plastic and the other with reusable bags.

What finalists weren’t expecting were the crowds, a standing-room-only area where people stood shoulder-to-shoulder cheering them on.

“It blew me away,” said Kroger Store 679 clerk Wyatt Shaner. “It was a lot of cheering. A lot of noise.”

Shaner blew away the competition, winning the right to represent District 3 at regionals. If he wins that, he’ll travel to Las Vegas for nationals.

“Speed is one thing, but it’s also about getting items in there and not crushing anything and making sure your weight’s good,” he said.

Shaner said he’s practiced for the competition since early May.

While the other finalists don’t get to visit Central Florida, they can revel in knowing they’re some of the fastest hands in the region.

“Working at a grocery store as your first job is probably one of the better ones,” Shaner said.

Now, you just need to figure out which aisle they’re working at.

Copyright 2024 WANF. All rights reserved.